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Revision as of 22:38, 25 July 2010
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Cosmin Marius Contra | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) |
Right back Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
| Current team | FC Timişoara | ||
| Number | 22 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1993–1995 | Politehnica Timişoara | 51 | (1) |
| 1996–1999 | Dinamo Bucureşti | 101 | (8) |
| 1999–2001 | Alavés | 66 | (5) |
| 2001–2002 | Milan | 29 | (3) |
| 2002–2006 | Atlético Madrid | 34 | (0) |
| 2004–2005 | → West Bromwich (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2005 | → FC Timişoara (loan) | 14 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | → Getafe (loan) | 24 | (0) |
| 2006–2010 | Getafe | 60 | (3) |
| 2010– | FC Timişoara | 14 | (3) |
| International career | |||
| 1996–2009 | Romania | 72 | (7) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:00, 24 July 2010 (UTC+1) | |||
Cosmin Marius Contra (born 15 December 1975) is a Romanian footballer who currently plays for FC Timişoara, usually as a right defender.
Offensive-minded, he can also appear as a midfielder, and played professionally in four countries (his own included), mainly in Spain, where he appeared for three clubs, namely Getafe CF, which he helped consolidate in the top division.
Club career
Born in Timişoara, Contra started his professional career at local FC Politehnica, and moved in January 1996 to arch-rivals FC Dinamo Bucureşti.
After three 1/2 seasons with the capital-based team, he was transferred for $800.000 to Spain's Deportivo Alavés, where he was a vital player in the Basque side's UEFA Cup runner-up campaign, his performances earning him in a place in the season's UEFA Team of the Year; he also added five La Liga goals in his two seasons combined.
Contra then managed yet another excellent move, as Italian giants A.C. Milan bought him, but his spell there lasted only one season. In September 2002 he changed clubs once more and went to Atlético de Madrid, playing with the Colchoneros two seasons (though he played very rarely in his second year, due to a serious ankle condition). A player of character, Contra was involved, while still with Milan, in an incident with Juventus FC player Edgar Davids, this being pointed as one of the reasons for his quick departure from Milan.
Contra moved to West Bromwich Albion on loan in August 2004, making his debut in a 2–1 League Cup defeat to Colchester United on 21 September. His Premier League debut came almost two months later, when Albion lost 2–1 at home to Middlesbrough. The loan was not particularly successful, with Contra playing just six times and receiving a red card in the last game of his spell, in a 5–0 home defeat to Liverpool. He then returned to the Romanian first division, at the club which brought him up as a player, Politehnica Timisoara, where he managed to be recalled to the national side due to his good performances.
In August 2005, Contra returned to Spain, penning a season-long loan with Getafe CF(which was made permanent at the season's end); with the side from the Madrid outskirts, he was used regularly, battling for position with David Cortés.
In the 2007–08 UEFA Cup, Contra scored in both legs in an epic quarterfinal bout against FC Bayern Munich, which ended in an extra time 4–4 aggregate elimination. Earlier in the competition, he scored a penalty kick against AEK Athens, appearing in that match even though his father had died just hours before. Since September 2006, he also became a naturalized Spanish citizen.
Poli
In late January 2010, after being ousted from the team's lineups by manager Míchel, Contra left Getafe and returned to his country, rejoining hometown's FC Timişoara, initially until June. On 26 February 2010 he made his debut in his second spell for the club, scoring from a 30-yard a free kick against FC Politehnica Iaşi; two months later, against FC Steaua Bucureşti, he again found the net from two set pieces, one from the penalty spot.
International career
During nearly 15 years, Contra played for Romania 72 times, netting seven goals. He appeared for his country at UEFA Euro 2000 and 2008.
On 1 April 2009, after a match with Austria, Contra announced his retirement from international football.
International goals
- Scores and results table. Romania's goal tally first:
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 March 2001 | Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia |  Georgia |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2002 World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 14 November 2001 | Stadionul Ghencea, Bucharest, Romania |  Slovenia |
1–1 | 1–1 | 2002 World Cup qualification – Playoffs |
| 3 | 16 October 2002 | Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg, Luxembourg |  Luxembourg |
4–0 | 7–0 | Euro 2004 qualifying |
| 4 | 16 October 2002 | Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg, Luxembourg | Luxembourg |
5–0 | 7–0 | Euro 2004 qualifying |
| 5 | 16 October 2002 | Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg, Luxembourg | Luxembourg |
7–0 | 7–0 | Euro 2004 qualifying |
| 6 | 28 March 2007 | Stadionul Ceahlăul, Piatra Neamţ, Romania | Luxembourg |
2–0 | 3–0 | Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 7 | 6 June 2007 | Stadionul Dan Păltinişanu, Timişoara, Romania | Slovenia |
2–0 | 2–0 | Euro 2008 qualifying |
Honours
- Getafe:
- Spanish Cup: Runner-up 2006–07, 2007–08
References
- Contra voted Romania's finest; UEFA.com, 18 December 2001
- "Contra deal goes through". BBC Sport. 2 September 2002. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
- Contra set for surgery; UEFA.com, 2 October 2003
- Contra and Davids suspended after scuffle; UEFA.com, 12 August 2002
- "Baggies snap up Contra". BBC Sport. 31 August 2004. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
- "Colchester vs WBA". West Bromwich Albion. 21 September 2004. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
- "WBA vs Middlesbrough". West Bromwich Albion. 14 November 2004. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
- Contra seals Spanish switch; UEFA.com, 4 August 2005
- Crushed Contra defiant in defeat; UEFA.com, 11 April 2008
- Getafe debut run goes on; UEFA.com, 21 February 2008
External links
- RomanianSoccer profile
- BDFutbol profile
- Cosmin Contra at Soccerbase
- Cosmin Contra at National-Football-Teams.com
| Gazeta Sporturilor Romanian Footballer of the Year | |
|---|---|
|
| Romania squads | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||
- 1975 births
- Living people
- People from Timişoara
- Romanian footballers
- Romania international footballers
- Spanish people of Romanian descent
- Association football defenders
- Liga I players
- FC Dinamo Bucureşti players
- FC Politehnica Timişoara players
- FC Timişoara players
- La Liga footballers
- Deportivo Alavés footballers
- Atlético Madrid footballers
- Getafe CF footballers
- Serie A footballers
- A.C. Milan players
- Premier League players
- West Bromwich Albion F.C. players
- UEFA Euro 2000 players
- UEFA Euro 2008 players
- Romanian expatriate footballers
- Expatriate footballers in Italy
- Expatriate footballers in England
- Expatriate footballers in Spain